Equinix takes Azure global, locally

Equinix has becomethe first datacentre services provider to be signed up to deliver Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute out to a global marketplace. This also marks an interesting development by Microsoft in the delivery of cloud services, for it is now effectively using Equinix as a sub-contracting full service provider rather than as just a local distributor of service connection capabilities.

This does mean that one of the issues facing larger businesses looking to build services on Azure could now be solved. This is the issue of data sovereignty and the impact of US laws such as the Patriot Act. In effect, by working with Equinix, Microsoft is now able to offer localization capabilities that should satisfy the data sovereignty concerns of most users.

Customers in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Australia will now be able to connect directly to Azure running in Equinix IBXdatacentres.Additionally, customers interested in previewing the solution can now connect to ExpressRoute via the company’s London Datacentre (LD5).

ExpressRoute is designed to help customers bridge public cloud and on-premise IT to cost effectively and securely extend enterprise networks while improving performance, reliability and scalability.

It provides private, high throughput, coupled with more reliable and lower-latency connections between customer datacentres and Microsoft Azure. As a result, Equinix is enabling enterprise customers to seamlessly deploy hybrid cloud environments that extend their networks and enhance on-premises investments.

Because ExpressRoute connections do not go over the public Internet, they also offer higher security than typical connections, with access to a multitude of network service providers that are part of Equinix’s business ecosystems.

Microsoft’s physical infrastructure for Azure ExpressRoute resides in Equinix datacentres and is available via an Equinix switching fabric that provides secure connectivity and real-time provisioning. By connecting to ExpressRoute across Platform Equinix, companies are able to bridge their cloud and datacentre strategies and benefit from full integration between cloud services and internal applications.

Azure is commonly leveraged for key workloads that include Big Data, storage, backup and recovery, hybrid applications, productivity applications and media.

“Businesses are demanding private and secure connections to the cloud to ensure optimal performance and scalability,” said Melanie Posey, research vice president at IDC. “On-site applications such as virtual desktops and customer relationship management (CRM) are migrating to the cloud, alongside born-on-the-cloud Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) business processes. As a result, companies are looking for cloud connectivity alternatives which offer more consistent performance than the public Internet can provide. Businesses require low-latency and highly reliable connectivity for distributed applications that are increasingly being delivered via the hybrid cloud model. A dedicated private network also returns control to the internal teams responsible for the applications. With Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute, Equinix and Microsoft are enabling high-performance hybrid cloud on a global basis.”

Microsoft is using Equinix datacentres to benefit from access to over 975 networks, as well as the ability to scale across Equinix’s global platform which includes more than 450 cloud and 600 IT service providers. The partnership will provide Microsoft with the ability to interconnect with Equinix’s 4,500 customers around the globe.

ExpressRoute is currently available as a public preview offering in Equinix IBX datacentres in Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C. and now London, and will become generally available in those markets later this spring. The service will be rolled out in multiple metro areas in Europe, Asia-Pacific and South America throughout 2014.